


Dead Shadow

by SerenaSpacey (authormelanieray)



Category: Beetlejuice - All Media Types
Genre: Dark, Death, Evil Beetlejuice, F/M, Good Beetlejuice, Horror, Learning to Live in Afterlife, Murder-Suicide, Revenge, Romance, mayincludetriggers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2019-06-18 03:53:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15477081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/authormelanieray/pseuds/SerenaSpacey
Summary: Getting disturbed at 6:00 AM wasn't on BJ's list of things that day, but his whole afterlife changes when he found out Lydia and her family were murdered. Taking the Neitherworld's clause and permission, he's ready to hunt down those responsible, but finds out that Lyds is in even deadlier trouble of becoming a Dead Shadow. A spirit doomed to live in their moment of torment on Earth forever.Now, the Neitherworld is making him speak on her behalf. (BJ/Lydia Romance and Horror) A mixture of funny and sweet, but also very cold, intense, and cruel.





	1. Me

**Author's Note:**

> Warning!: This story is extremely dark, my darkest one yet. It's the reason I am rating this mature. If you have problems with reading about suicide or depression, this is not something you should read. While it has several great parts full of humor, romance and happiness, it is filled with psychological horror as well. Gore is kept extremely low, but the scares in it are meant to elicit fear to those Beetlejuice hunts. It's a romantic drama and a horror. Beetlejuice does not hurt or hunt anyone who lives with the ones responsible for the crimes. He works around them.
> 
> I've always wanted to write something in the vein of The Crow, Stir of Echoes, Ghost, or What Dreams May Come (Not a horror, but is actually pretty terrifying if you think about it towards the end.) Basic revenge ghosts sort of, but also focused on a moving on with life (or in this case 'afterlife'). This is the second horror I've ever attempted to write and mixing it with romance is going to be one hell of a skill. It kept me from writing it for some time. Years actually.
> 
> I didn't really know how to accomplish it until 5:30 yesterday morning. I got up, started typing away and it's now born. It's so tight and solid in my head, there's no way I can stop the writing now. How long it will take to write it remains to be seen. It's going to be at least 15-30 chapters knowing me. Maybe more. I always know the concept, not the length to finish it. Probably updated at least once a week. Maybe more. We'll see.
> 
> Anyhow, that's it for the notes. Some chapters will be full on the usual Beetlejuice fun and loving thing. Others, not so much.

 

\-------------------------------------------

**Neitherworld**

It wasn't the greatest time. Beetlejuice yawned unapologetically. He'd been summoned by the Mayor Maynot. Whenever that happened it wasn't good, and especially at 6:00 am in the morning. Who woke up at that time that wasn't lame? Nobody he knew. Beside the mayor was somebody he didn't know. Probably one of the mayor's new lackeys or something. "Hey!" He yelled turning into a rooster holding an old fashioned alarm clock. "I haven't even crowed yet! What gives?"

"Beetlejuice, get dressed!" The mayor demanded. "You have a very important visitor."

Beetlejuice grumbled. Bad enough they got him up so early, he was having to get dressed too for a nice impression? Why give a nice impression. He wasn't nice. Still, he snapped his fingers, turned on his juice, and fixed his tie now in his usual black and white striped wear. "There. Happy?" He scoffed with a snort. "I'm not."

"Beetlejuice." The person next to the mayor spoke. "My name is Miss Second Chance."

"Yeah, like that isn't an obvious enough name," he said. "You friends with Goody Twoshoes?" She wasn't laughing, nor did she look upset.

"There is no easy way to approach this," she said. "You might want to sit down."

"I might want to not," he rebelled. Still, he went ahead and juiced a chair for behind him. He fell down into it, slouching more than sitting. Still, she didn't seem bothered.

"I am afraid that I have some terrible news considering your friend Lydia Deetz," she said.

Just like that he stood up and juiced the chair back away. No way was he slouching or sitting for news about that. "What about Lyds? Spill it!"

"You are going to need to stay reasonably calm for us to get through this," she said. "It's okay. I will wait." She looked at the watch on her arm. "I have all the time in the world. Go ahead and curse and juice as much as you need to."

Someone was giving him permission to juice them? No, no one would do that unless . . . "Fine. I'm calm." He wasn't calm, but he wanted to know. "I need to know what's going on with Lyds."

"We must talk about some painful facts. The living world is just that, pain."

Okay. He really didn't like where that conversation was going. "Did somebody hurt Lydia?" That was impossible. Day or night, she just had to say his name. Just had to say his name! It was impossible someone could hurt Lydia.

"The Deetzes," she said. "Charles Deetz. Delia Deetz. Lydia Deetz. None of them are among the living anymore."

Beetlejuice lifted a finger. He paused. He opened his mouth. He didn't say anything. He looked at the uniform she was wearing, finally taking notice of the tiny patch on the left of it. Two silhouettes of souls.

"Take your time." Miss Second Chance. That's why she'd been so good at handling him. She could probably handle a lot more. She was trained too. She was a counselor. A counselor to the recently deceased. "Tell me when you are ready."

"People." He finally spoke. "Don't naturally die as a family at once. Not unless they ate something? Poisonous mushrooms? A deadly disease?" They were already gone, he had to give himself hope in something else.

"No. Their lives were ended by other humans." She was quiet again.

"Oh." He felt. He didn't know how he felt. "Other humans, huh? Other humans. Otherrrrrr, why didn't she call for me?!" He turned into an old fashioned phone but quickly changed back. His juice was not going to make a mockery of this situation. "Why didn't she call? Why didn't she call!" Damn it, he needed to know. Damn counselor wasn't going to tell him right away. Not for about a minute of being silent. It was standard.  _Why didn't she call me? Why didn't she call me?!_ He didn't care what time it was, day or night, night or day, in the middle of a mud bath, who cared?

It felt like forever for the minute to be up. "She was restrained first while she was sleeping. You may call it fate if you wish, or don't if you wish. Her mouth was gagged."

Another minute. If he didn't respond, it would be thirty seconds. If he did respond, it would take longer.

"Later on, if you feel strong enough to look at the detailed report, I can get you a copy," she said. "For now, here are the most basic facts you need to understand for us to proceed. All three of the family members were bound, gagged, and taken downstairs. Charles Deetz and Delia Deetz were shot and killed by Lydia Deetz. Lydia Deetz turned the gun on herself afterward. The people who killed them are wanting it to make it look like Lydia killed them so they get away with the murder. What we've received from Charles Deetz is that his daughter was forced to choose their manner of death, and shooting was easier."

Another thirty seconds. Just don't speak. Just hang on. Just.

"Charles is haunting their home. For now, he is the only one who has been talked to." She paused.

He didn't say a word. Didn't breathe. Didn't blink. He didn't want to hear it, but he needed to hear it at the same time.

"Normally, we simply process through, however it's a well known fact that the infamous Beetlejuice knew them. To avoid an overbearing sense of revenge upon the Neitherworld for the unfairness of rules that did not permit you to reach her, we are reinstating the Lex Talionis Clause for you only. You don't have to take it. It's up to you if-"

"Mine."

"-you want to use it." Miss Second Chance nodded. "There will be some paper work, and some strict rules and regulations if you do this." Paper that had appeared in her hand floated toward Beetlejuice. "If you mess anything up, it's terminated."

Beetlejuice juiced a pencil for each paper, signing each one. He himself didn't move, only the pencils. He already knew the damn rules by now.

Miss Second Chance took the papers back. "Don't let yourself be seen by anyone else. Only one at a time. No proof that you exist. They can only hurt or harm themselves. You can use weapons, but you cannot hit them. You can bother them in their sleep, but you can't kill them in it. The only traces you can leave are bruises and scratches up to a point. Nothing life threatening." She tucked her papers back away. "She will be haunting her former residence with her parents for 125 years. She is not able to see you until after your work is complete." She handed him a few sheets of paper. He curled them up and juiced them away. "Your information. Once it's processed, you are free to go."

Then, she disappeared.

\------------------------------

**University** **of** **Bridgeport** **: Mirror of a Dorm Room**

Information. It was only the barest on purpose. Address, names, and the part they played. Giving him everything would have made it a lot easier, but they wanted him to dig his own information up. It gave a ghost using the Lex Talionis Clause both time to settle down as well as let them feel like they had more control. Lex Talionis was the Neitherworld's Eye for an Eye.

Until the Lex Talionis clause was done, he wouldn't get to see Lyds. Right now, he probably wouldn't get to see her for another few years on top of that. Getting to see the unprocessed while they were still in the haunting stage would take time. He had to let the Neitherworld and her family handle her for now, while he handled the ones who killed them.

And he would. He'd fill his arsenal knowledge with their worst fears, and they'd be crawling for razorblades to end their very lives as they were slowly driven insane. After they were killed correctly, for once if he followed the rules, they would be doomed to an eternal sentence of haunting their own residences until passing passed the Neitherworld.

Beetlejuice never fully explained the Neitherworld to Lydia. He didn't need to, it was obviously where the dead came after they were done living. But, it wasn't the end all. First, the recently deceased would haunt their homes or similar personal structures for 125 years to learn about patience, accepting death, and the many things that came with it.

Afterward, one of two things happened. One. They would disappear and pass onto the next phase. He had no idea what the next phase had been. Vaporization, reincarnation, no one ever knew. These individuals were never heard from again through any of the worlds he knew of.

Or two, which happened more often. For young deaths, violent deaths, or for the soul who hungered for more 'life'. There was the Neitherworld. People kept love, family, friends, and many similar things the living world offered. When they came, sometimes they were changed dramatically in their appearance, and sometimes not, but they would live out their death in the Neitherworld for thousands of years.

Some never even made it out of the Neitherworld, being born into it instead. Their souls never making it to a living transition, simply living out their existence there before moving into the next phase themselves. Not a bad thing. That was him. That was his whole family. Born and raised there. Ghost with the Most.

But there was no time for comedic gags or jokes for the Ghost with the Most today. He was going to take care of this and by the rules. If he screwed up the rules this time, these criminals wouldn't just bypass the Neitherworld after their haunting. 

They would come out to the Neitherworld the same time as Lydia and her family.

Never. She'd _never_  be forced to see them again.

It didn't matter which one he picked. They were all guilty, and they'd all get the same punishment. He didn't care if they all happily did it, if there was peer pressure, money involved, they needed a kidney for their dying relative, it didn't matter. They would all die being scared to death or by their own hands.

He watched the one in front of him through a mirror. Carter Adler. He was a long distance away from the Deetz'. He had no idea what caused him to go Peaceful Pines, but he would soon. He'd find out everything, and turn it all against him. For now, the less than confident human was trying to work on some kind of homework. He already looked unsettled, like he was scared he'd get caught. Good. It was rare to actually get the living to be scared to death, but getting at least one of them to go passed their fight/flight ticker mode would be fitting.

He juiced out of there to see the next one.

\------------------------------------

**Bridgeport Bar**

Scumbag number two. Beetlejuice just walked into the place. People stared for a second, but he didn't care. He didn't bother changing his Neitherworld appearance. There was no saying his name three times rule anymore. If he wanted to, he could start taking these two on right now, but it wouldn't be smart. He'd be caught and he didn't know their weaknesses yet.

He just wanted to walk in there to see them, face-to-face. They'd learn it soon.

"Halloween was some time ago, man," the woman said on his right. Rebecca Beckett. Not involved in the killing, but she  _knew_  about it, and she was giving the guy beside her his alibi. Technically, he didn't have to take her on, but sending her down to a mental ward for the rest of her life might do some good.

Beetlejuice looked straight at the one next to her. Brady Copeland. No remorse from him as he took a drink of his beer. Of course not. He'd regret that. He'd feel something before it was over. "You got a problem?" he asked Beetlejuice.

"You took something," Beetlejuice managed to speak. "It wasn't yours."

"Man, just get out of here." He waved Beetlejuice away. "It's an open area. Go away."

For now. Neither of them looked nervous or sorry about what happened. They would be in the end. Even if it was just screamed out of fear.

\-------------------------------

**University** **of** **Bridgeport** **: Mirror in the bathroom of a Dormitory.**

Duncan Gibbs didn't have a mirror in his room, nor anything Beetlejuice could easily use yet to get to him. He kept it quite bare. That would change though. Changing into Betty Juice, he exited the woman's bathroom. Betty moved down the hall, up another flight of stairs, to the guys' dorm rooms. She walked partway, and knocked on the door of Duncan Gibbs.

He answered it and looked at her. Complacent. "Yeah?"

"Sorry," Betty said. "Wrong dorm room." Still, he took a chance to glance behind him. At some point, he'd get in there. "I was looking for my friend Lydia's dorm room."

Lydia was a common name, but he saw it strike a small nerve in him. "Well. This is the guys floor. Try another floor."

"Okay. Thanks," Betty said. "If you see her, let me know. She's got  _deep_  black hair." Betty lingered on him a second before walking off. He closed the door, but she went back to his door. For now. Betty looked around carefully. The slightest person coming out could screw up his rule. Betty took the dry erase marker on his door and wrote on his board. LYDIA. Then he knocked as hard as he could and disappeared to the other side of the dorm, right beside the stairs. It was too far for someone to run and make it there. Betty waited for Duncan Gibbs to open his door. He looked down the hallway first, noticing her, before noticing his dry erase board.

As predicted, he tried to come after her. Betty calmly walked down the stairs and disappeared from view. By the time he got there, she'd be long gone with no explanation, and no one on campus ever having heard of her. 

Eventually, after Beetlejuice starting doing his thing and he got desperate, he'd look into Lydia's friends in Peaceful Pines. Find pictures of her. Betty Juice.

But he'd find out she didn't have a house or exist there either. Seen but not found. The first seed of insanity to fill his mind. Just a tiny seed that wouldn't go too far yet.

But that seed would grow.

\--------------------------------

**A home near the College Campus**

Well. Beetlejuice was picking up on a connection now. Finley Jennings was in his kitchen eating something he pulled out of a microwave. Around him though, in several rooms, were paintings. Copies of famous paintings. Continuing to look around, Beetlejuice moved around inspecting them until he found some sculptures and art that could only be done by Delia Deetz. He'd never seen them before. They must have been part of the work she was working on at the moment, or released to an interested buyer. Either way, he knew that style.

No one else had that kind of style in the Land of the Living but Delia Deetz.  _Did he take them after murdering her, or is it a reason for their deaths?_ Did they kill for her art or because of it? Either way, it gave him plenty of spaces to hide when he was ready to. He would need to as well because he had two roommates who had no connection or knowledge of what he did. They were roommates to afford a house together for college. Liberty Mason and Wilson "Will" Addison. He'd have to work around them, never scaring them directly, or lending any credence that Finley Jennings actually saw anything. To them, he'd just be losing it.

And he would be losing it. Soon. Before Beetlejuice could investigate anymore though, he felt himself summoned back to the Neitherworld.

\---------------------------------------

**Neitherworld**

He was in the same spot as before he left. Miss Second Chance was in front of him again. This couldn't be good. He didn't break any rules, he knew that.

"It's okay, you didn't break any rules," she said just to ease his mind. "You are doing well, but your friend is not. She was on the verge of becoming a dead shadow. We intercepted." She waited thirty seconds. "A dead shadow is-"

"I know what a dead shadow is." Deadpanned. Lydia's mind was free, as free as his, but if she couldn't get over what happened, her mind would go back to the moment of her death, and continually circle it. Never escaping. Life was over. Now her form of her forever existence was on the line.

"If we hadn't been ready, she would be stuck as a dead shadow. Fortunately, we had a feeling it would happen. We pulled her out of the situation." She paused thirty seconds. "The Neitherworld is letting you speak on her behalf. Decisions on progression must be made."

"Was she with her family?"

Miss Second Chance nodded. "Delia Deetz is getting through it now. Charles Deetz reached her emotionally. His wife seems okay for the moment, and her progress seems steady. Charles Deetz was trying to help Lydia as well, but she almost became a dead shadow. A second chance may prove helpful, with her memory of the night erased, burning to a slower remembering instead. Maybe." She adjusted herself. "Charles Deetz would like to speak with you. It is up to you whether you want to take on his request."

Beetlejuice nodded. He watched Mister Deetz suddenly appear in front of him. He looked all around, clearly not zapping himself there. He didn't know any magic yet, that would take some time.

Charles looked ahead at Beetlejuice. "Mister Beetleman. Betty Juice. So many others." He shook his head. "I always knew it wasn't in my head."

Beetlejuice didn't say much. "Mister Deetz." There wasn't much he could say. Sorry you died? Sorry Lydia was forced to kill you? Sorry your daughter is struggling to save her mind? Nah. He just stood there. Charles didn't come all that way just to scold him about interacting with his daughter.

"You let her visit before. Several occasions I've heard. People in this 'Neitherworld' know her."

Beetlejuice nodded.  _Belle of the ball here. Never mistreated._ He had to think it. He could not risk accidentally juicing. He had to watch every word. Mister Deetz wouldn't understand how his magic worked and he did not want to offend him right now.

"I want her to stay with me and Delia," he said. "I want it so much. I reached Delia, in what happened, but . . . they say Lydia's going to be some kind of trapped spirit forever on Earth. Eternally living the torment over again."

Ah. Clarification. Neitherworld was terrible on that kind of thing. That's what he wanted. "Not yet," Beetlejuice said. "She's at risk. It means you've gotta be careful, Mister Deetz. Really,  _really_  careful." Did he even understand how careful? "If the Neitherworld is intercepting in this, she's real close. You can't let her fall, you just can't."

"The Neitherworld?" Charles continued. "They want to move her onto the next phase after it. Is that heaven?"

After the Neitherworld. "Nobody knows," he settled on. "It's anything but here. You'll never see her again. Talk to her again. Walk with her again." Ah! He just wanted to see her already! Even if she was unconscious, he just wanted to see her. He watched Charles hand him a handkerchief. Had he been crying? Normally when he did he was screaming and yelling and blowing his own nose with his own handkerchief. He rubbed his eye. Yeah. He'd been crying.

"125 years is a long time," Charles said to him. "Holding onto Delia is hard enough, and I. I really hope I get this one right." He gestured to Beetlejuice. "How much do you care for her?"

The world. The universe! He care for Lydia more than any words could ever convey! "Lot."

"They said you're um, doing some kind of . . . revenge thing?" Charles asked him. "I-I should be an upstanding person and say it's wrong, but I don't care. I hope they pay for everything they did and then some."

"They  _will_." They would be clawing for their own deaths now.

"You know this world. You know the rules and the way it works. You've been gone for some time." Charles hesitated. "Since Lydia knew about the Neitherworld, visited it and her mind is open to it? They've suggested that, maybe she should stay with you instead."

Beetlejuice paused. Him? They were recommending . . . him? Miss Second Chance said the Neitherworld was letting him speak on her behalf. It must have been because of Lex Talionis.

"But can you keep her any better?" Charles asked. "Or is it better to let her move on? I don't know. You're the one that gets the choice. Being separated 125 years sounds hard. Being separated for even longer is hard too, but at least she'd be at peace." He looked back to him. "Then again, it's supposed to be about happiness. That's how you don't fall? Lydia was always the happiest when her 'best friend' was there." He sighed. "Oh man. Do I keep trying and keep my family together? Or do I trust her with someone who's lied to me for years on end? I'd say no in a heartbeat, but you were said to be not only her best friend, but one of the most powerful ghosts out here." He shook his head. "I don't get to make the call though. Just be careful in what you decide."

Beetlejuice watched him get zapped away. It was up to him.

She would either live with her folks for 125 years, haunting their old house. Hopefully staying okay with her memory only slowly being processed. Hopefully over years or months.

If she fell she would become a dead shadow though, forced to live through all the pain at the end of her life. Over and over and over.

He could let her go onto the next phase. Protect her from becoming a dead shadow, but letting her go forever? Him, her family, her friends there. No one would ever see her again.

Or. For 125 years, she could be with him instead.  _I don't have anyone else to watch like Mister Deetz does, and I could absolutely make sure she never fell! I'd put everything on it. I know how to keep her happy. Happiness. Renewed vigor. Me and Lyds, that was us!_ He could do it. He could save her, but he was putting her becoming a dead shadow on the line if he couldn't. And. That wasn't right.

Miss Second Chance stared at him. "Well?"

Lyds. He closed his eyes, making his decision. "If she falls into it, put me in her place, and send her to the next phase." Replacing. It could be done, but never had been. No one wanted to replace a dead shadow. No one wanted to spend eternity wrapped in a nightmare. But he would for her. Meanwhile? "In the meantime, she can go to . . ." Charles. Him. Her dad. Him. She should go to her family. He was risking everything for her, and he was the better pick. Her family was her family, Delia and Charles together could help her. But. He. Couldn't.

Trust her to them. "Me."

 

 


	2. They Went On Vacation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Charles and BJ are obviously lying about a lot, but the date it is lie is mostly so that she has no excuse to return to school.

**Neitherworld**

Lydia found herself walking. Odd. Why was she walking? What just happened? She looked around herself. Oh, the Neitherworld.  _Well, anything could have happened then_ , she chuckled to herself. She looked at who she'd been walking with. Yep, BJ. Her memory was fuzzy, but she was in the Neitherworld with BJ. Did he get her up in the middle of the night or something? She was so hazy, she must have been half asleep. Probably 3 in the morning, shouting at her, she zapped herself there with a mumble of his name three times and voila. It wouldn't be the first time.

It was getting late though. Whatever he needed, she needed to help him quickly so she could get back home. She still had school tomorrow, and she couldn't afford to mess up. College was just around the corner. Community anyhow. BJ hated it at first, but once she said she'd let him come see her there too, he was okay. After all, he still had his Betty Juice. In fact, when he realized that she didn't have to hide him like she did in the past for his parents?

Oh, he lit up. When she wasn't in school, they could spend so much time together. It was college, no one knew each other, and Betty Juice would slide right in. It would be fun. "What is it you need help with, BJ?"

He didn't stop. "Um." He didn't sound so confident. "Let's get to the Roadhouse first, Lydia."

Lydia? Well, he did often call her Lydia, but something sounded off about how he said it this time. Hm. Well, it was late.  _Not that late though._ Why did she think it was that late? It looked evening and the sunset was just coming. Maybe she was taking a nap at home?  _Oh wait._ There could only be one explanation. She must be starting to come down with something. She didn't have any symptoms yet. No sore throat or anything but she was clearly feeling fuzzy.

As they arrived in the Roadhouse she looked toward BJ, expecting him to take the lead on whatever problem made him drag her into the Neitherworld at that time. "BJ, you need to tell me why I'm here." She yawned. "I think I'm coming down with the flu or something."

"You want to lay down, Lydia?" He looked concerned. He looked real concerned. "No prob." He went over toward his bed, beat it a few times making beetles come out of it. Lydia half expected him to go after them, but he didn't even flinch for them. He just fluffed up the pillow and fixed the sheets. He gestured toward it. "There you go. Lydia ready. All the way."

"Um? BJ?" She asked. "I don't need a nap. I can nap when we're done with whatever you need," she said. "I'm sorry, I'm half asleep. I don't remember why you brought me to the Neitherworld this time."

He didn't answer right away. "I know that." He side glance looked at her. "I've just gotta be careful about this."

"Careful about what?" Lydia asked. "You seem so distant today, BJ."

"Oh no, not at all! I'm right here. Totally. Right here, Babe." He nodded a little too much. "Everything's just been the same like every other day." He snapped his fingers. "Food. You need some food, right?" He opened his fridge.

Lydia doubted he had anything in there for her. He actually had something that looked like food though? He handed her a hamburger on a plate. Lydia took it but lifted the bun to inspect it. It looked edible. She went ahead and tried it.  _Not bad._ "Wow, BJ. This is excellent." It wasn't always easy to find edible food in BJ's place. She watched as BJ zapped a small kitchen table next to her. "Thanks." She sat down and finished the burger. She was still waiting for whatever problem BJ had to explain. It must have been a real biggie this time. Usually he could barely contain himself to tell her about it.

"No problem with me, Babe," he answered back.

Not with him?  _Then I came here just to come here. At this hour?_ No, wait, it wasn't late. It was evening. Sure, that made sense. She kept eating her burger. She couldn't place the flavor but it was good. "Oh no." She looked at the little bit of burger still left. "Yikes. I was so hungry. Uh oh. BJ? I think I just spoiled my appetite. In fact, I should probably get home soon." She stood up. "Mom's going to be furious. I missed dinner, I'm sure of it."

"You really do got the flu, huh?" BJ gave her a note. "Don't this ring a bell?" He turned into a giant bell, ringing himself.

Lydia looked at the note. None of it rung a bell. "Mom and dad went on a cruise for their anniversary?" It was their anniversary? Well, it had to be. That wasn't BJ's handwriting, it was her father's ticky handwriting. "They are leaving me alone for a week, Beej?"

"Yep," BJ answered. "You got real sick though. Feverish. You're getting better but I brought you over here to be safe." He held his hands out wide. "Besides! A whole week with Beej. What's better than Beej?"

_Ah._ That made sense. It was strange to forget it. Lydia looked at the letter again. No, it was definitely her dad's writing. Yeah, and the way he would write it too. Kind of nervy ticking, asking if she'd be okay, telling her about food and this and that. "I'm glad they are going on a cruise. I bet they'll have fun." She closed it up. "We'll have fun too. As soon as school is out each day."

BJ kind of fidgeted a second there again. "Yeesh, Babe. You really caught something, huh?" He turned into a fisherman yanking in a fish that looked feverish. He turned back to normal. "School's not in session." He juiced a calendar in front of her. "End of June, Lyds."

Oh. Okay? Lyds opened the note again to compare dates. Her father's date matched.  _I thought it was May?_ "Beej. Did. How sick did I get?"

"Uh? Well, you were sick beforehand too," BJ said. "You said you were okay, but you were pretty bad off. Not listening again." His ears came off a moment before he grabbed them and put them back on. "It's not surprising you don't remember Lyd, you were feverish for some time."

"Then? Did I ever go to the hospital?" There was time missing. There was something missing.

"Maybe?" BJ said. "I don't know, I was kind of forced to get out for a bit. You know, Donny. Can't predict him. Had to hide out for a bit."

If it had  _just_  been Beej' saying it, it would be different. She'd expect him to be hiding something, but it was her dad's handwriting. Definitely.

"You know what? Maybe you want to call him?" He juiced her a big phone for comedic effect before he switched it to a modern cell, striped in black and white.

Lydia held it. Well, it definitely couldn't be a trick. She heard it already start to ring. BJ must have called the number already. "Dad?"

"Lydia." His voice sounded really strained. "How are you doing? A-are you getting better, Sweetie? From being sick?"

Yeah. That was her dad. "I think so," she said. "I must have been really sick. I didn't remember you leaving for a cruise for an anniversary, Dad."

"Your mother and I thought you looked bad, but you insisted you were okay. You were sick from before, but we thought you got better."

"I was sick twice, back to back?" Maybe that accounted for the time? "I."

"You were really sick, Honey. We actually had to . . . call the hospital the first time. You spent some time in there for pneumonia. They said you were all better and the trip was coming up. You said you were better, insisted upon it. Mister Beetleman promised he'd be showing up daily to make sure nothing happened."

Okay. Um.  _I was super sick. Okay._ Maybe she was a  _lot_  sicker than everyone was letting on. Even the way BJ was acting? Yeah, that's why she was in the Neitherworld. He was going to be super worried about her. Whatever didn't make sense now, would make sense later. "I'll be okay. I'll take it easy, I promise. Enjoy your trip, dad. Tell mom I love her."

"I. Ah. You bet I will." He seemed to crack before he hung up. He didn't even end with an 'I love you'. Lydia gave BJ back his phone before she felt herself juiced into a pair of purple pajamas. "Okay, I get it. I'll crawl in bed."

"Good. Get you back on track." BJ turned into a train set briefly before turning back to normal. He fluffed the pillow again before she laid down. "Just take it easy. Doctor Beej' is here now." He looked like a doctor now. "Nothing's going to happen to you ever again. Learned all the signs to look for." Stop, Yield, and other traffic signs showed up around him before disappearing. "Learned so much even your dad is trusting Mister Beetleman to have a second eye over you." His eye flew out above her, but he easily yanked it back.

"Thanks, Beej'." Lydia smiled. "You're the best." She closed her eyes. Rest would probably be a good idea after all. She certainly didn't want to get sick again, or sicker. She still had a fuzzy feeling inside of her head, but it would go away once she got better. With BJ taking care of her, she was sure she'd be alright.

* * *

 

**Later that Night . . .**

Lydia awoke. It was much later now. 4 AM now.  _I slept a long time. I really am still sick._ That wasn't a good sign, but at least she was taking it easy. And a slumber party over in the Neitherworld? Hadn't happened for a long time. Too bad she was sleeping to miss out on it. She looked beside her.

Beetlejuice had juiced himself his own little bed next to hers. He had even been holding her hand? Wow. How strange. It felt like he was being extra sweet for some reason. Although he'd hate it if she told him that. She got up and moved around. Falling asleep so early made her timing feel off. She wouldn't stay up long. Just long enough for a drink of water. She moved to the kitchen and got some water. She looked out at the night sky. Neitherworld night time. It was always the most amazing time.

She moved back to the bed. Going to sleep again should have felt harder. Crawling in, she put her body back down, but felt her hand being grabbed again gently. She looked toward Beetlejuice. Odd.  _The way he's acting. Did the pneumonia nearly kill me?_ Whatever happened, he was ultra worried. He was reaching for her hand in his sleep.

Well. The sympathy wouldn't last forever. She'd enjoy it while it lasted. Life would get back to normal soon.

* * *

 

8:00 AM

Lydia was starting to yawn. It was time to get up. She smelled something good beside her nose. She opened her eyes.  _How'd he do that?_ "Beej', where'd you get that?" In front of her he had placed one of her favorite fast food meals.

"I knew I was coming down here," BJ answered her. "I got it from beforehand."

"Wow. Thanks." She smiled at him and took it. Delicious. Her favorite breakfast sandwich. Okay. He was being a little oversweet now. Hopefully he snapped out of it soon. "What do you want to do today?"

"Go see others around here," BJ answered. Then, his strange look was replaced with a quick smile. "'Cause, hey! They all knew you were sick too and they just want to see you." He waved his hand around. "Ah, they wouldn't leave me alone until I agreed they could see you the next day. Ginger and that annoying tap dancing."

"Okay." Lydia got up. She looked at her clothes. She watched as BJ juiced her usual red outfit on her, but there was something different about it. As she moved around, she saw it. It wasn't just a spiderweb pattern. "The way the light catches on the pattern?" No way. "Deadly-vu! This is real spiderwebbing." How'd he do that?

"Thought you'd like it." He gestured out the door. "Come on. Let's go." Just as soon as they moved from his place, Jacques and Ginger were right there.

By the looks on their faces they were definitely worried. "It's okay," Linda assured them. "I'm fine now. See?" She spun around. The light catching on the real spiderwebs was so amazing. "I'm much better." Still, they seemed so worried.

"Yeah," Ginger grabbed a handkerchief and dotted her eyes. "I-it's really good to see you all better, Lydia!"

Yeah. Okay. Overwhelmed Ginger again. "Thanks."

"Yes, um, yes. Eetz good to see you again mez ami." Jacques looked like he was really trying not to cry. "Good to see you all better again. You put ze scare een us."

"She's better," BJ said, shooing them away, trying to get them to disperse. "Quit crying, she's fine!" He grabbed her hand and led her away from them. "Making such a fuss. Really."

"They just cared, BJ." Though Lydia felt better seeing his reaction. He'd been fussing himself earlier. When they left too, The Monster Across the Street was right there by the entrance to the Roadhouse.

"Look who's feeling better!" He was overjoyed. Poopsie didn't look as enthused as he did. "Glad to see you all better. Yep. All better."

"Yeah. All better. She's better. Can you think of another word?" BJ complained.

Still, The Monster Across the Street was still straight smiling. It was getting eerie. "Well, we are off now. Thanks for caring to stop by." Still. That look. Everything had felt so off since last night. Maybe she was still just sick. Well? She didn't want anyone to worry, and if she got worse, BJ would know. Her dad wouldn't have left her to him if he hadn't proved himself worthy as Mister Beetleman. "Where are we going today, Beej'?"

"Shopping," he said. "Feel like giving the old Roadhouse a makeover." He got makeup juiced on him and fluttered his mascara eyes at her. "Whatcha think?"

Lydia laughed. There we go. Now Beej' was feeling better. "Awesome, let's go, BJ."

When they moved to Doomie, he was extra happy to see her too. Lydie and BJ hopped in. "So what are you thinking of doing?" She looked at BJ. "If you do it in beetles, you can't gnaw at your furniture again."

"I don't know yet. Gonna surprise . . ." He purposely stopped himself from his joke. Wow, BJ usually didn't catch it. He was going to say 'gonna surprise myself'. That was a big juicing, his juice would have surprised him somehow. Odd. Usually he used his juice to his advantage, or at least didn't care to stop it. 

_Thinking way too much about this._ Lydia felt the wind in her face as they went down to the local Neitherworld store.

* * *

 

**Land of the Living**

Bertha and Prudence walked into school together. Their friendship had to get tighter than ever to get through the ordeal. You'd think anyone would be a little more sensitive to them. The end of school would be coming soon. College around the corner. It was supposed to be the greatest time of their lives. While they used to be ignored at school, now they weren't ignored. They were stared at. It wouldn't quit.

It was bad enough losing Lydia, but having her legacy go down that way?

"Oh. Hey?" Claire Brewster. They didn't need any sympathy from her. She'd never give sympathy. "So? I just wanted to say, like, it's a real bummer that you lost your friend? I mean, even though she was apparently a total psychopath that killed her parents and herself. That in no way reflects upon you two." She waved at people watching, talking more to them. "Just, Claire Brewster is a real supportive person, you know? Although, in my opinion, we all should have seen it coming. Lydia liking spiders and beetles and being weird and all. Weird, non-conformatives are dangerous, you know? I mean, who doesn't want to be liked?"

"Back off!" Bertha couldn't take anymore. "We don't need to deal with you right now! And!"

"Lydia never would have done it," Prudence said softly. "Never. I'll never believe it."

"Hey, it's okay." Claire looked around her again. "I'm trying to be nice? 'Cause like, being friends with someone who killed their own parents and themselves is like, hard? But, um. Denial is real bad too," she warned them. "The law doesn't make mistakes and, like, all the evidence is totally gathered and stuff. So, you might as well face it." She walked by them, whispering, "Your friend was a psychopathic maniac. If I were you, I'd forget Community College and just run away as far from this town as possible. After all. Sickos travel together."

Prudence held onto Bertha's hand tighter. "I know evidence." But she knew Lydia. "Police use things like forensics and DNA." But she knew Lydia.

"Let's just get to class," Bertha said to her. "It'll die down. Don't worry." Still, Bertha was trying to hold herself together, but she was breaking.

They lost their friend, but even their memories of Lydia Deetz were forever scarred. No one even held a funeral for them to attend, they just scheduled to burn her ashes. They attended Charles and Delia Deetz' funeral though, but it brought no comfort. Each of them thought that the first few days of it. Dealing with losing her, attending the funerals, and somehow things would get better. But, it didn't. Things just got worse. Rumors got worse. 

Never getting to see her, hear her, or just seeing her fun smile and quirky attitude was hard enough. But knowing that no one would even remember her fun smile and quirky attitude. It hurt. All they heard about was how underneath the quirkiness and friendliness was the face of a serial killer. A psychopath. A sociopath. Anyone who even showed sympathy had a hidden agenda, like Claire. Just trying to 'look good' for the other students. But, most didn't care to even put on fake friendliness. High school was almost out. College would begin soon.

New start, at least. New start. Except, neither of them got accepted into the same colleges. Prudence wanted to go to a University now. She was cancelling enrollment in the Community and moving far away with her family. With her skills, she had a full paid scholarship anyhow. She just didn't want to leave her friends. It was bound to happen later on though, and now with what happened with Lydia? Her family didn't mind pulling away from Peaceful Pines at all.

Bertha however, was stuck in the Community College. She hadn't tried for anything else except a couple. But, they were just far off dreams. When Bertha was done with school for the day, her and Prudence parted ways. Bertha moved toward the mailbox, getting mail for the one other college she wanted to attend. She took it inside, put down her stuff and opened it. She already knew it'd be a no. "Yes?"

Yes? Bertha's fingers shook. Yes? Oh, it was exciting, but she couldn't pay for it. Still. She could tell her family. She was smart enough to make it in. She had other mail too. Bills for the family. And one from . . . Betty Juice? She hadn't seen her since the whole disaster. She opened the mail.

**Dear Bertha,**

**Times are tough. I'm bailing from Peaceful Pines. But, I never really let you or anyone visit me 'cause I was stinkin' rich! But I never acted like it. Didn't want friends who saw me for that. Anyhow, here's a small amount of money to make your dreams come true.**

**Use every bit of it for college! And if you need help, I'll be right there!**

**Betty Juice**

That small amount of money? "Mom? Mom!" Bertha shouted. It was enough to pay for college and then some! 

* * *

 

**Neitherworld**

Beetlejuice only snuck away for a minute. About that time, Bertha would be coming home. He'd already known the situation a long time ago. Prudence was getting away from Peaceful Pines, which was good. Once he started his thing, getting Lydia's friends out of the vicinity was going to be important. They'd start nosing around and asking questions. He'd already played around with one of them, couldn't help himself. Sooner or later, they'd be coming down to investigate themselves.

Beetlejuice used to be restricted on what he could juice, but with Lex Talionis, he could do things like money now. Untraceable, real, and out of a vault of a billionaire who'd never even know it was gone. He didn't abuse the privilege, just enough for her college and moving away. Lydia was dead, not them. He couldn't forget about the living that suffered too.

Anyhow, just a minute. Long enough for Lydia to look at some samples. He rounded the corner and saw her, still looking at tablecloths.

She looked toward him. "How come I'm the one that keeps having to pick things?" She smiled. "BJ, you are going to have to put a little effort into it if you want to redecorate your place."

"I am," BJ said. It was called whatever Lydia wanted. He was decorating for her to make the place feel like it was hers too. He had a week to get her comfortable before he had no choice but to give her the first blow. That she was dead. That was good enough. The rest would come in time, to her own mind, whether he wanted it to or not. But, he just had to keep her happy. Keep her spirits up.

That was so much better to do before all this. He wanted to be happy, he wanted to be carefree like his usual self. But, this. It just. It was before her time. They had fun in the Neitherworld, but he never really thought about her being there. Permanently. Dead. Yet. Anywhere near yet. It felt strange and wrong to be happy about it. And he did strange and wrong things all the time, so it was  _really_  strange and wrong.

She should have been ending high school that week. She should have been looking forward to going to the community college. A little bit of freedom. Then, she'd really get freedom going to a University. Getting a career. Getting a life of her own. By that time, he might not have been able to be a part of it. Once she got a husband and had kids. Might have been long off the path of him by then. But?

It was a better route for her life. Than this. If he hadn't believed he could watch her better than her dad, he would have left her with him, but he was already holding onto one. More than two at a time, after she already reached that close? Just too dangerous. The Neitherworld was Beetlejuice's home, his territory, and if there was anything he saw that was the slightest way wrong, he could get her the help she needed right away.

He told and asked the others around the Roadhouse about it, and they agreed. It wasn't in his selfish head for once. Leaving her to a newbie dead guy, dad or not, it wasn't smart. They'd be helping to keep an eye on her too. In fact, he had spotted Ginger round the corner. She'd covered Lydia while he dealt with Bertha, just in case.

Even Mister Deetz. He hated it, but even he would help with a phone call or two. Not something he wanted to abuse. It'd be hard enough. Couldn't even bear to end the phone call properly.

The rest of the Neitherworld wouldn't know yet. They would later. They weren't really his biggest concern right now. Only two things mattered right now. Not jokes, not gags, nothing in his stupid afterlife problems. Notta. Just two.

Getting Lydia to a balanced state in her death so she would never become a Dead Shadow.

And to make sure her afterlife was safe, away from the ones who hurt her. Ever again.

He was doing fine though. Getting better. Made a joke or two as they looked at more stuff. He could hide all the emotions inside and keep on his happy face. Because he had a better outlet to keep his emotions for. Jacques, Ginger, and everyone else in the Neitherworld. They were all getting a break. He was saving it all for them.

The ones that deserved it.


	3. Hold It Together

**Neitherworld**

Lydia watched them, unphased. In the beginning, she felt a little confused, and maybe feverish. As the week progressed though, there was something besides being sick. They had one week together, and even though they were having fun, something had been tying everyone at the Roadhouse back. Everyone had acted so different. Even now.

It seemed normal. It seemed like something BJ would pull, but it was different.

"Whatcha think, Babe?" BJ asked her as he stepped in the shower. "Got optional settings. Mud water or swamp water." He showed off the mud bath letting it cover him. He shook it off some, but twisted the swamp water handle which took the majority of the mud off. "Babe? What's wrong?"

What was wrong? What was wrong?! Lydia went over to his new installed shower. "Mud. Swamp. What's  _that_  one?" There was a third handle she pulled. Cold water flooded over BJ.

"Yikes!" BJ tried to move out of the way. "That was close. I almost got clean." He looked toward the handle. "That's the default choice. Not too bad though, now you can bathe and smell bad or good."

No. "No more kidding around, Beetlejuice," Lydia warned him. She started tapping her feet. "I could buy that I was sick for a little while, but this just isn't right." She looked around his place. "You've been getting actual edible food in here. You have a bath with clean water. You made me pick most of your new remodeling furnishings. You've been caging off your bugs and rodents and putting food that isn't in your fridge, inside of plastic bags." None of it was him.

He never cared about any of that. Hygiene? Pleh, he hated the word. Lydia never minded before, so why was he getting that way? Was it really her health? If it was, then why the redecorating? And the biggest one of all. "Tell me what's going on, BJ."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Why can't I go home?" She'd tried to more than once. Sure, he wanted her to stay but she still wanted to return too. To her bed. To her fridge. He didn't need to worry about stocking for her, why didn't he just return home? Her bedding and her sheets and her pillows. The mail, it would keep coming. And especially missing the chance to see her other friends. "Bertha and Prudence haven't seen me for four days, they must be worried."

"Uh."

"BJ," Lydia warned him. "I want to go home. Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!" She said his name three times but nothing happened? What? "Home, home, home?" What was going on?

"Really trying to get to the end of the week before this, Lyds," BJ said. Yeah, he was outwardly admitting now that something was wrong. "A couple more days," he encouraged her, "and I'll tell you why you can't go home. Yet."

"Beetlejuice." Lydia was a calm person usually. You had to, in order to be a friend to Beetlejuice, but even she had her limits.

"Two days, Lyd," he insisted again. "Gotta wait two more. Just two."

"Beetle-"

"It's not a request!" He said firmly to her. "You have to wait two days."

Did he just yell at her?  _It's not a request?_ What in the world was he hiding?

"Okay, no way are we fightin', Lyds, not right now." He groaned. "Gonna have to do something." He snapped his fingers and disappeared for a minute. When he came back, he pointed toward the entrance to his place.

Lydia watched Ginger come by. "Hi." She waved two of her legs on the same side. "Lydia? Uh? You're kind of worried about something Beetlejuice might be hiding?"

Oooh. No.  _He asked for help?_ He'd never do that, BJ would never do that. What would cause him to do that?

"It's? You really need to wait for two days," Ginger insisted. "Please? Don't get mad at him, or us. This is really hard, no one's used to it."

"Two days." Lydia looked back toward Beetlejuice. "Fine, two more days."

**Two Days Later.**

So many things went through Lydia's mind about what it might be, and the top thing it could possibly be? It just, it still didn't fit.  _I just want to know. I just need to know!_ The only thing she could even possibly think of was that the trip was like, a last resort thing to a divorce. They'd always loved each other though. But her dad, the way he talked to her? The fact that her mom never talked to her?

"Okay." BJ took several deep breaths, moving around the room. "Alright. Okay." He exhaled. "Lyd? Something happened that changed . . . the way you go up."

The way she went up? "I don't mind," Lydia said. "I just need to know what's wrong. Please?" He was rubbing his hands around so much.

"As in . . ."

Wow. He was lost for words. Lydia sat down on his couch and squeezed where her hands laid. She felt a few bugs and beetles come out, but didn't think about it. She still didn't know, but BJ being lost for words? The whole week?

"As in . . ." BJ tried again. "As in you can't. Not for at least 125 years. Rules." His voice was thick. "Rules for uh." He had his hands out, squeezing them in and out. "Rules for the newly dead, Babe."

Uh? Lydia stopped squeezing the couch. She was expecting to hear something about her family. Why was he . . . he was supposed . . . "You were supposed to say something about my family or. Or. Or. Something. Why, are you." Why was he? What?  _Newly dead. Newly dead._ "What's newly dead?"

BJ gestured toward her.

Lydia blinked a few times. She looked at Beetlejuice. At the couch. At the bug that was crawling on the side of the couch that was slowly leaving her eyesight. She didn't want it to leave her eyesight. It was something to stare at so she didn't have to think about what he just . . . "I'm newly dead?" But? "But my dad!" No, no, this was a cruel joke. A joke he had taken way too far. "I talked to my dad!"

"When you die, you get a few little twisting on the rules," BJ answered her. "I revealed my real self to him, so he could say goodbye."

"B-but." Her mouth opened but no words came out, only half understandable sounds, until it hit her. "The." Her eyes fell back toward BJ. "Sick?" She felt herself falling backward into the couch, getting consumed by the stuffing of it. She felt Beetlejuice's hand and realized she hadn't moved at all.

He pulled her up into a hug. "It's not so bad here," he said, trying to sound positive. "I mean, hey, I'm here. Lived here all my life. Lot of freedom down here. You know? You can start here at the Roadhouse and if you want, you can move out and upward. I mean, you know? Schools and jobs and all that."

He kept trying to talk, and he wasn't even using his juice accidentally, but it just didn't.  _I'm dead._ The pneumonia. She never got better. She never got over being sick. She couldn't say anything and her eyes just wouldn't stop watering. Her mom. Her dad. Her friends. Her life. Everything she knew. Where she grew up. Her world. Gone. Forever.

When she was younger, a couple of times, she had dreams about it. Some strange dreams where she just woke up and they all threw a party because she could stay forever. All her Neitherworld friends were there with cake and ice cream and assorted other Neitherworld food. It was a happy dream, but it was just one of those dreams. Like, waking up and finding yourself alone on an island, where you could just scream as loud as you want and run as much as you want. No consequences. No thinking things through.

Those were dreams. Those were just stupid, silly dreams. She clung tightly to his back. "Beej'."

"Gotcha, Lyds, forever, it's okay."

Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead.

Beetlejuice wasn't surprised by the ear piercing scream she let out. He knew it wouldn't be easy. Everything she ever lived for was gone. No family, a few friends, no schooling, no nothing, just him and his Roadhouse. She only visited the Neitherworld. To ever say it was home. To say that she was dead. That she'd never see any of the living people she'd loved again? Alive?

He wasn't a bit surprised she started to fall into the couch. The Neitherworld was a world of feeling, of magic, and Lydia held a  _lot_  of feeling right now. He had to make sure he didn't lose her to any of it. If it took all his juice, he'd keep her tender self safe through it all. There was a reason it took 125 years in a place of safety before they could come out to the Neitherworld.

It was an open interpretation to all feelings. But it was either there with him, where he could watch her and know what could happen, or back with more newly deads who wouldn't know the first thing to do if she started falling into even just a couch. He let her cry on him for several more minutes, getting out a lot of her sorrow. He could feel himself getting so drenched, she was almost starting to clean him now.

She was starting to shout and squeeze him, telling him over and over she couldn't be dead. To prove it to her. That she was fine. But, it was just her ranting and venting. Beetlejuice knew that, he did it all the time. Before this.

She cried on him a good fifteen minutes before she had any concept of time. "I." Her first word in a while. "I don't wanna be dead." She sniffled and wiped her eye.

He looked down into those sad, miserable big eyes. Eyes he always hated to see. Eyes he always tried to prevent as much as he could. "I've always been a ghost," he said to her. "Born one. Got my annoying family here forever to bother me. This has always been home." He tried to wipe his tears. "But if this world was taken from me, I know I'd be feeling like you right now. I may never have been alive, but I know losing all of it's not easy, Babe."

She hugged him even tighter. "I don't even know what to do."

"Nothin'. Right now, don't gotta do a single thing," he assured her. "Better if you don't."

"Yeah. Magic. Neitherworld." She was speaking, but it sounded like she was long since tired. "No one ever again." Her whole body started to collapse against him. The squeezing from before was all but gone, now she couldn't seem to even hold on.

Beetlejuice picked her up and sat down on the bed. Right now, she was tender to all of the Neitherworld's strange magic. As long as she slept, he'd hold onto her. He watched as Ginger crept by. "She's out."

"Oh." Ginger dabbed her eyes, but tried really hard not to make another sound. She just shook her head behind her and then moved away. 

Jacques looked in. "If you need anything, a break or anything, let us know, Beattlejuice?"

"I got her." Not going anywhere. Not yet. Lyd was priority uno. Until he could trust she wasn't going to fall into the abyss of the Neitherworld, his second priority had to stay off the table. Time would move though. It always moved. Bertha and Prudence just had their last day of school that day. Both of them would be pulling up stake and leaving Peaceful Pines shortly for their new life and new colleges. By then, Lydia would be recovered enough to trust to get away a little bit, letting one of the others watch over her a small amount of time.

And then. Priority two. Until then, all those murderers could just lie down. Have sweet dreams. Think they got away with it all.

While they could.

"Beattlejuice?" Jacques interrupted him one more time. "Uh? Ginger and all of us? We really just want to remind you that-"

"Beat it."

"Yes, I know, and it is justified. You have to do what you have to do. That's fine, just don't? Don't lose yourself in the process of what you need to do."

"Just beat it."

"It would do no good for her to get used to everything to have you completely changed. Just remember that. Revenge is a tricky thing." Jacques left.

Beetlejuice knew what he was talking about. He didn't really care what he was saying. Whatever it took. Whatever it took to guarantee she never had to see them again. Whatever it took, to make them _feel_  what she felt. But, he felt himself calming down again as she moved slightly in his arms.  _You'll be okay. I promise. Promise, promise, promise, Lydia._

Promise.


	4. Final Lessons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick Reminders: Duncan, Carter, Finley, and Brady are the ones responsible for the tragedy of Lydia and her family.  
> Rebecca Beckett knows about the Deetz' murder, but didn't actually carry anything out. She knows her boyfriend Brady was a part of it though.

**University of Bridgeport**

"Rebecca Beckett."

Rebecca got up from her chair and went over toward her teacher. She was giving back her final project. Rebecca handed it in over a week ago, but it was time for the final grade. Pass or fail. College sucked and art class the hardest. She thought it would be fun, but art was actually really hard. As much as people said it was in the eye of the beholder, the beholder was her teacher with criteria. She drew better than stick figures, but for anything else, it was really tough.

"It was . . . different," her teacher settled on. "Your imagination has grown tremendously over the year. I never thought you'd do something so challenging. You aced your final."

Rebecca eagerly took her art. What did she mean by her imagination soared? She looked at the project and just about dropped it.  _What the hell was that?_ It was some dark night painting, but like twisted with stuff out of Da Vinci. It was weird. She wanted to protest about it to her teacher, but she already got her pass.

She sat back down and noticed Brady's wink.  _No way. Really?_ She gestured to it and him. How'd he do that?

After class, they met by the locker's nearby. "How'd you make that wicked looking thing?"

"I call it tortured love," he joked. "We've got more than a few, and we'll be getting our hands on even more soon. No worries, okay? I sacrificed  _one_ precious piece for you."

Rebecca rewarded him with a hug and a kiss. "Thank you so much! I didn't think I'd pass finals, and I'd still be stuck in that stupid art class. I love you, baby. Those things are going to be worth a fortune and you wasted one on me."

"Nothing's wasted on you," Brady said, "as long as it's appreciated?"

"Definitely. I'll show you plenty of appreciation tonight." She gestured to his project. "What about yours?"

"I did my own." He showed it to her. "Drawing. Future. Big house, big car, and a wonderful little family in the background of it all."

Aww. "For your final project?" She placed her hands on her heart.

"Well, I didn't get into all of this for minor fun," he said. He grabbed her hands. "Tonight, we are having the best dinner around. I have a surprise for you." He touched her cheek. "Something your little freshman heart isn't going to be able to resist."

* * *

**Peaceful Pines**

"Do you want to come over tonight?" Prudence asked Bertha. "Celebrate the ending of this school year finally?"

"Yeah, I do," Bertha said. "We'll have fun. Only a little while longer before we. Well? Can't do that anymore."

"Yeah," Prudence said. "I know it sounds weird, but, I kind of wished we could have invited Betty Juice. I just, I haven't seen her since. You know." She noticed Bertha's odd look. "What?"

"She contacted me. She's out of Peaceful Pines," Bertha said. "I'd tell you how, but I should really keep her secret. We are all out of here soon," she said. "My folks found a great place near my accepted college. It's on the other side of America in California. It's going to be a blast!"

"Yeah. I'm going to New Jersey. We'll be pretty far apart," Prudence said. "I'll be sure to write."

"Yeah, like every day, and phone calls too," Bertha agreed. "We'll be great. It'll be great. New start."

"Yeah," Prudence repeated. "New start."

* * *

**University of Bridgeport**

Brady tucked away the engagement ring in his pocket when Duncan, Finley and Carter showed up. "Hey there."

"Brady, what the hell?" Duncan started in on him, taking a seat on his side. Finley and Carter showed up on the other sides. "Rebecca told us what you're romantic ass just did. Giving away one of our pieces for a final?"

Finley grabbed the ring box out of his jacket. "Already spending money you don't have for her." He eyed him.

"Hey, I said I was only in it for Rebecca, and to get out of college for good," Brady warned all three of them. "I love her and I don't want to lose her. A lot can happen over the summer, I don't want to waste it. I know she'll stay faithful if I have a ring on her finger."

"Estate sale is in two days. Two," Finley warned him. "Two! If you waste too much, there's no way you'll be able to get much art. Don't come crying to me if you get like one thing. That house is loaded with it."

"They have no idea what they've got," Carter added. "Look. I got the heebie jeebies once. Thought I saw something that wasn't there. We all got reasons to wanting to get out now, but it's useless if we don't hit that estate sale. Delia Deetz hardly ever sold anything as much as she tried. They'll be giving it away for pennies. To them, the couch is going to be worth more than any of it."

"Art is only as good as it's buyers," Finley agreed. "If there's one thing I learned from my dad, it's that. Don't waste anymore money on Rebecca." He slammed his hand down on the table. "And don't bother a single piece of our art again, or you are going to regret ever joining in this venture."

"It's just a proposal ring," Brady said. "One art piece and a proposal ring. Cheap one too. Once I get some real art from the estate, I'll buy the real wedding ring." He took his engagement ring back. "I won't do anything else, okay? Two days. We all go back to Peaceful Pines for it."

Two days.

* * *

**Neitherworld**

Lydia felt almost like a newborn baby. She used to be able to walk around the Neitherworld with no trouble at all. It wasn't like that anymore, now that she knew she wasn't visiting it. She was dead. She now had something she never had before as a human, her own magic, and it made her susceptible to pitfalls in the Neitherworld.

"Come on? You wanna little bite, right?" Beetlejuice teased her. He was at the table, shaking her sandwich at her. "Make it through without falling through. You can do it, Babe."

 _Concentrate on the burger._ Lydia took another step forward. She had developed her skill enough that she didn't need Beetlejuice holding onto her anymore. The couch and the bed psychologically kept her steady now. They felt solid beneath her. Floors though? She'd already fallen down twice through the floor. BJ had to quickly catch her and drag her up.

"Mmmm, it's so yummy," Beetlejuice encouraged her some more. "Come on. Walky walk. Can't stay on the couch and beds forever, Lyds."

"Why not?" She took another shaky step forward. "If we scoot them closer together, then I can just jump from one to the other." Lydia knew that wasn't a choice, but at the time, it sounded good. It took a little while to accept that she had died and really never could return, but she focused on the positives now to get through it.

Her Neitherworld friends. Several of them had sent flowers and sorry your dead cards and even welcoming cards. Ginger and Jacques and The Monster Down the Street all stopped by to see her at least once a day. She also didn't have to worry about any pain anymore. Whatever she went through, it was gone now. She felt healthy and fine. Well, for being dead.

The Neitherworld was still the great place it was before too. All the wacky and insane things she used to love and enjoy were still there. But, her biggest positive was BJ. Not accustomed to working at all, or being patient with anything, he didn't curse or get upset with her at all with slow progress. Physically or emotionally.

She missed her life. She missed her friends, and she really missed her family. She'd miss everything about Peaceful Pines and the Land of the Living. She thought she might even miss Claire Brewster a little. Just, everything. But it wasn't over. Life was, but not her afterlife. It was just a second phase. A great phase that she got to skip to over haunting her old house for over a hundred years! That would have been boring.

Focusing on the positives, and right now the positive of a sandwich was tempting. She hadn't eaten much over the last few days and she was finally getting an appetite back.  _One step. Two steps. Three steps._ Almost there! Hopefully when she reached out he wasn't like his mischievous self and moved it out of her grasp.

"Now that's progress, Lyds!" He congratulated her, juicing into a graduation uniform and standing up to give it to her like a degree. One step shorter than she planned. She was so surprised.

"Beetlejuice!" She started falling through the floor. Lydia tried to reach out and he grabbed her hand like always. He held onto her.

"Your impression of a monkey is really getting more impressive." He put on a monkey face. "Know what I mean?"

"Pull me up," she complained. "No joking, I'm hungry." She was pulled back through the floor and onto a kitchen chair of his. He gave her the sandwich. Ooh. Food. Her stomach growled. Awkward timing.

"Don't worry, Lyds, you won't die of starvation," he joked.

Lydia was quiet for a moment. She smiled. It was okay to joke about that kind of thing now. She needed to eject some humor in her life again. "I am going to enjoy this." She took a bite into the burger. Yummy.

"Okay. Almost didn't fall through. It was because of surprise." Gears came out of BJ's head, turning around. He was thinking about something. They went back down into his head. "Ah, fine. I won't be too far," he decided. "If you're ready, there's been someone who's wanted to visit with you." He glanced at her. "Mom."

Bea Juice wanted to see her?

* * *

**Bea Juice's Home**

She should have known it. Still, it wasn't different before when she saw herself in the reflection of the cleanliness of the floor. Lydia didn't stand a chance.

Beetlejuice knew it was coming too. He'd lifted her up higher away from the floor. "Really, ma!" He complained. "Newly dead comes to visit the floors can't be so shiny she can see herself. She'll fall right through." He floated over to the couch and sat her down. "Tables, beds, and chairs. Mentally she's okay with furniture itself now." He sat her down. "Right, Lyds?"

"Have to keep the floor clean, you can't just let it get dirty," Bea complained as she came toward him. "You're not cleaning yourself enough, BJ."

"I've been busy, come on," he complained. "Here. Have a nice long talk on the couch. Don't let her get up," BJ warned her. "If she starts to fall-"

"Goodness, Beetlejuice, who raised you?" She scolded him before she went over and started to clean on the back of his ears. "Dirty, dirty, dirty."

"Ma! Going, going," BJ said. "Dad wants to talk to me too." He looked down at Lydia "You'll be good for a few minutes?"

Lydia nodded. She was fine on the couch. After he disappeared, Bea held her hand and drug her across the floor. It felt like wading in water.

"In here, in here. You can sit at the table," Bea said. She started to clean the table top. "So. Death. How are you doing with that, dear?"

Brazen. Definitely BJ's mom. "It's going?" Lydia said. "I'm getting used to it."

"Did you get any kind of tick?" Bea asked. "Just don't get a cleaning tick." She stared at the table then cleaned it again. "Beetlejuice cares for his friend, but if you get a cleaning tick like me, I don't know if anything can save you."

Lydia smiled, but then what she just said clicked. BJ was born the Ghost with the Most. "Were you born in the Neitherworld?"

Bea stopped cleaning and looked toward Lydia. "Well now, one subtle sentence and you picked it up. You're a good one." Bea took a seat. "Your skin is a little lighter, but you're still a pretty thing. Nice to see. Eating well?" Lydia nodded. "Sleeping well?" Lydia nodded again. "Good, good. Beetlejuice is taking great risk with you not haunting for 125 years, but you used to walk around here just fine. Look at you, you'll be fine. With your opened mind, you'll be fine." She patted her cheek twice _._

Bea Juice was asking the basics, and telling Lydia everything she already knew.

"Death is hard," Bea Juice then confided in her. "Hundreds of years later, I still remember it all. I went very young, too young, but the plague was rampant. There was no stopping it, period, let alone for a little one." She looked toward her floors. "It was so dirty. Covered in bodies and blood and dirt. I just lied there, waiting for the time to come. Even as small as I was, I knew I wasn't long for that world."

Oh. Lydia wasn't expecting the conversation to grow so heavy.

"The Neitherworld. It's a second chance world," Bea said. "I was originally not called Bea Juice, obviously." She looked into her clean table. "It was nearly a hundred years later after reaching the Neitherworld that I found my destiny in Nat." She smiled. "After that, it was quite easy to find my real self and what made me happy. A hundred years of lingering around, wondering why I was never just moved on like everyone else. Eventually learned." She moved from the table. "Don't focus on your death, focus on your afterlife. My boy was very fond of you in life."

Lydia nodded. The conversation was nice. Not helpful, but at least she knew Bea used to be alive. "We're best friends."

"Of course, it's all you could be dear. You were so young, you were alive, things were different. I had to wait a hundred years before I found my destiny," Bea said. "You already have yours. When things get tough, and eventually they will? Just remember, you're not alone. You've got my boy."

"I know," Lydia insisted. "He's been really good about helping me." She looked around. "Usually he doesn't go very far."

"I'm not done talking yet," Bea said to her, drawing her attention back to her. "Nothing is really hitting home yet, is it dear?" She moved away from the table and went closer toward Lydia again. "When you go into the next phase, it will be because you completed everything to your full satisfaction."

Yes. Lydia nodded.

Bea tried again. "Stop that nodding. You're still not listening. Don't think of the afterlife as the afterlife. Think of the Outerworld as part 1, and the Neitherworld as part 2. It doesn't matter which part you finally find your happiness."

Okay. She wasn't supposed to nod. Lydia was trying to listen. She already knew all of what she was saying.

Bea patted her hands next to her. "Destiny doesn't always involve part 1. That's why you have Neitherworlders born within the Neitherworld and then moving on. Destiny had nothing for them in part 1. Destiny, had nothing that involved my boy needing to be alive. Only meeting you," she said to Lydia. "So take your time. Get used to the Neitherworld." She turned her back and started to clean the dishes. "But I've been waiting hundreds of years here, so try not to have a tick like mine. It's about the only thing that would turn BJ away, and it's high time I get some grandkids."

Uh? Uh? Okay. Lydia had been listening, but that last part?

"Oh please, even a cleaning tick would probably not turn him away." She turned back around. "Nat didn't care about my tick after all. Oh, I hope he's convincing our son to do something though. Been trying to get him to work for years, even before we knew about you, and nothing ever happened."

"I?" Lydia tried to speak up. "I'm just friends with-"

"You were. You were alive. You weren't from the same world, too young, different plans. Life and afterlife, it can't blend in that way." Bea held her finger up to her. "It's okay. Don't admit it out loud, it might make it harder. But, you should remember how that made you feel. Because the hardest turns are yet to be turned, but Beetlejuice is going to need you to stay strong. You can't fully rely on his power to get through it, or you'll sink both of you before you ever get a chance to be happy."

Can't fully rely on his power? Grandkids?  _We were the best of friends. Just friends._

"How's it feel when you sink through the ground with or without him? Feel it." Bea stretched out her hand, using her magic she pulled Lydia out from the table, letting her stumble across the ground, until it became like water!

Lydia felt herself falling again, but this time, there was no familiar hand to give her a pull up. She reached upward, desperately trying to hold on. "Beetlejuice!" Gone, where was he? With his dad.

**_You were. You were alive. You weren't from the same world, too young, different plans._ **

How long would she fall? She was in free fall, she didn't know what to do! What to hang onto!  _Beeettttllleeejuuuuuiiiice!_

_**You can't fully rely on his power to get through it, or you'll sink both of you before you ever get a chance to be happy.** _

Then, she saw it. She wanted him there so bad, even though she knew he was all the way out with his dad. His hand was there and she grabbed it, feeling it's familiar grasp.

_**How's it feel when you sink through the ground with or without him? Feel it.** _

"You okay, Babe?" Beetlejuice was right there for her now.

She looked up toward him. He was ranting against his mom now.

"Sorry, dear," Bea said. "Forgot to pay attention." She winked at Lydia. "Did you have a nice talk with your dad?"

"Eh, work," Beetlejuice moaned. "Always focused on it. Ugh." He smiled at Lydia. "Don't worry, I'd never let you down, Babe. Not like I was gonna a hundred percent trust my mom. Cares more about cleaning than anything."

"Be nice, Beetlejuice, some manners," she warned him. "Take your nice friend home and let her get some rest. That was quite a journey down I assume, but I got distracted by my dishes."

Lydia felt Beetlejuice's grip stiffen around her. Not hard, just.

"Told you to watch her. Trusted you to watch her," Beetlejuice complained to his mom. He kept it simpler than what she felt coming from him. "Come on, Babe. Let's get out of here. Better things to do than hanging with parents all day."

Lydia clung to him tighter than usual as he lifted her from the ground.  _I'm not strong enough to help myself yet, let alone Beetlejuice with anything. But?_ But she stared at Bea smiling at her while she cleaned a plate.  _But I?_

But she knew that pull up from Beetlejuice, was way too warm. Way too important. Way too . . . much. For how she _should_ feel for a friend.

 

 

 

 


	5. Purchasing Art

Beetlejuice watched Lydia. Days later and she almost fell through the couch. Ever since she had visited his mom, her progress became slower. Now, she was even regressing. “It’s a couch, Lyds. Why are you falling through a couch.” It wasn’t a question that needed an answer. There was only reason she’d be regressing. “You’re holding something back and it’s keeping you from concentrating.”

She denied it again. "No, I'm not," she said, clinging to the couch. "You can't make progress without taking a few steps backward."

Beetlejuice turned himself into a donkey and changed back. Enough said on what he thought of that.

"Death is hard, okay?" Lydia groaned. "Everything's new. It takes adjustments."

This time he turned into a bull and slightly snorted, puff coming from his nostrils. "Sure, Lyds."

"Look, you don't get it. It's all frustrating, okay?" She tried to steady herself on the couch.

"Look, you don't get it," Beetlejuice came back on her. "I know there's something bothering you." Flies appeared near his bull's appearances rear end. He started to swat them with his tail. "If you ever want to walk around normally like you used to down here, then you are going to have to tell me what you're hiding." Could she be remembering something vague already? "I mean. You got some memory of before it happened, you should express it." He turned himself into some mail marked express and fluttered next to her lazily by the couch. "Come on, Lyds. Who's your best friend?"

"I don't have any memories," she insisted again. "Really. It's just. Issues. That's all. Personal issues, I guess."

Beetlejuice groaned and turned back to normal, now sitting on the arm of the couch. "Personal issues? You're dead! What kind of personal issues you got left?" Ah, okay. Fine, there was something there in her eyes. It was super personal. "Girl things?"

"Sort of, I guess," Lyds said. "And don't turn into Betty Juice, that won't help."

Oooh, real girl things. "Well." Ooh. "I know one of those real ones! Kind of? Well, close enough."

* * *

Lydia was left alone with Ginger for a little while. She was on a chair which as of yet, she had no problem with. "Hello."

"Hi," Ginger said. "So. Beetlejuice said you had problems that you couldn't discuss with him? Uh. This really isn't the time to start having issues that you won't talk to anyone about," she said slowly. "so, I'm here to listen."

Uuh. Lydia wasn't so sure about that. "I don't know." The subject, it felt like something she should be discussing with Prudence and Bertha. She didn’t mind Ginger, but this subject?

”Oh, I know we aren’t the best of friends,” Ginger admitted too. “But, you are going through a very dangerous phase, I mean complicated phase!” She corrected herself. "And, well, it's . . ."

It's not like she was going to get a lot of options.  _I have to tell someone. Beej is right, this isn't helping. But how can I tell without . . ._ "I don't know how to tell you," Lydia said. "I mean. I didn't even know how or if I . . . feel something about . . . someone." It could just be because he was spending so much time with her. Because he never let her down, and she was right there whenever she needed him. But, friends were there for each other too. So, why was she even considering it? He didn't. He wouldn't, he was her best friend. She was his, and this was not the time for these weird feelings to pop up.

She looked back toward Ginger. The spider was slowly nodding.

"Oooh. I get it," she said. "You. You really liked someone in your world, but you didn't realize it at the time?"

 _Close enough._ It was as close as Lydia could risk getting.

"Okay. Oh no, I can see why you didn't want to talk about that," Ginger said. "That's a lot of burden, I'm sorry! But, uh? It's not over? Maybe someone here will make you happy? You should really tell Beetlejuice, maybe he can leave the one you liked a love message?"

"No!" Lydia felt her cheeks getting warm. No, absolutely not, he could never do that. "No, I don't want that."

"Oh. Okay. Well? I'm sorry, Lydia. That time was short though, and you have so much more time here now," Ginger said. "So, you shouldn't be scared to tell him. Do you want me to tell him for you?"

Usually, no, but Lydia was hiding something very big in there that she could risk giving away. That the guy in question was Beetlejuice.  _If Ginger tells him whatever, then maybe that will end this need to know from him?_ "Fine, but I don't want to dwell on it. I just. I'm just trying to deal with it, while dealing with death too."

"Okay. Hang on, Lydia. You'll find someone else." Then, she left the room.

Strange. Lydia just told her that she supposedly might love someone in her world before she died. Why didn't she grab a hanky and start crying? She was such an emotional spider. Didn't her situation strike anything in Ginger?

* * *

"I got it," Ginger said as she approached Beetlejuice right outside the Roadhouse. "It's going to make this harder, Beetlejuice."

"Ah, great." That's not what he wanted to hear. "What is it?"

"She just realized she had pent up feelings for someone in her previous world. Lovey dovey feelings and she never expressed them," Ginger said softly. "So . . ."

"Heh. Well." Beetlejuice scratched his head. "Someone out there's trying real hard to one up on me, she's got repressed feelings about some boy in her old classes or something?" Damn.

"I know," Ginger said. "On one hand, it's romantically cute and sad, but I can't even stop to think about it 'cause-"

"That just increases her chances of getting in trouble." No! "Naw, fate, I totally can take more. Throw the whole solar system at me!" His juice hit him in the back of his head with an art project of a solar system. "Art. I don't want to see art right now." He made it disappear.

"Maybe you should go to the other world, and leave him a note Lydia writes or something," Ginger recommended.

Beetlejuice didn't like that. "She's dead. Whoever this is, is not. What's the difference?"

"Uh? Closure?" Ginger said like it should be obvious. "She needs to find closure over this."

"Well, why's this guy got to be such a big deal?" Beetlejuice said. "I mean, I ain't never heard of no guy she liked that much. And like, no blushing or anything! And I was always around her girl-girl friends, they would have thrown it out at some point." It didn't make sense. Who could she have possibly liked?  _Not important who it is._ "Nah, we need to just . . ." Um.

"Make her tell him in a letter," Ginger said again. "Eventually. She needs to get over the frustration. Confront how she feels."

"But."  _Who cares about some little . . ._ "It."

"She won't say his name right now," Ginger said. "I don't think she trusts anyone enough for that, and she says she's still working out how she feels."

"Well there you go! She is working out how she feels," Beetlejuice said. "That's the reason she's faltering, indecision. That's reason enough _not_ to jump the gun on this one. Okay. Give her a little more time. Pushing her is even worse you know." Death probably wasn't an easy thing to accept, and there'd be a lot of frustration with feelings.

"If she doesn't get better, we should do something," Ginger said. "Your selfish tendencies of always wanting Lydia will have to take a back seat to help her if she can't get past it, Beetlejuice." She smiled at him. "Besides, it's not like whoever it is is some threat. She's gone from that world. You shouldn't feel jealous. You have her all the time now. Whoever this special someone is, they never will."

Beetlejuice was hitting his head. "I'm racking my brain over this." His head turned into pool balls being set up and split apart. He just didn't know anybody that meant that much to her. That she ever hinted about. She didn't even have any real friends that were boys to warm up to. So?

Who?

He went back into the Roadhouse. Fine. Great. Somehow she liked someone that completely slipped by him. He smiled toward her.  _Lost love crap. How do I handle this?_ He looked at her. Now she was all blushing and wiggly and  . . . _damn it, she really does like somebody?_

Okay, fine, no problem. She was growing up. Well, she was growing up there, so, whatever! Not his area. Why was he starting to focus on this? _Who cares?! Getting her to a point she can walk across the floor so I can start going after those little gremlins! That's what matters._

Right now, he still couldn't leave. He wanted to, he really wanted to. But slipping through the couch again? Not happening yet. Besides, he couldn't do anything yet anyway. But once Prudence and Bertha was gone.

Then he could finally take some action.

* * *

Duncan, Carter, Finley and Brady arrived at the auction to a surprise. Finley's dad was there. Mason Jennings.

Finley walked toward him. "What are you doing here?"

"You are buying a couple pieces of art, and then selling them back to me? While everything goes to the way side, I don't think so." He patted his son's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll let you grab something a piece afterward."

"Hey, hey, hold up," Brady said. "That's not right. _We_ did all the hard work."

"And you'll be rewarded with a piece," Mason said to Brady.

"No. No way. Look. That shit was risky," Brady pointed out. "Risky! If anything goes wrong, we are the ones who go down, not you!" He looked toward Finley. "This isn't fair, this wasn't the deal!"

"This isn't about you, dad," Finley confronted his dad. "This stuff, it's-"

"Dangerous for you to even be here, Nitwit," Mason said outwardly.  He brought out his checkbook. "Brady, you wanted to quit school, marry, and have a nice job. What do you think you need for that?"

"Um. I need a house and a car," Brady said. "So I gotta get in on this."

"That's just annoying and a waste of time. If you don't know who it goes to, you make nothing," Mason said. "From what you pay verses what you make, you won't even be able to afford a real ring." Mason wrote him a check and gave it to him. "Cut out the middle man and take that. Putting your future at risk was dumb enough. Don't screw it up a second time."

Brady looked at the check. "Screw the art, I gotta go. Good luck you guys."

"Shit." Finley looked at his dad. "Are you just going to pay us off for a quick settlement?"

"Why drag it out?" His father asked. "I'm the one with the contacts. Your plan was to buy up some paintings, sell them to me, and then I would make my end that way. A terrible plan." He looked toward Finley. "You couldn't have pulled anything off without me. Not your education, and not other activities," he said. "Even this? If I was a cruel man, I could out you out of everything by threatening the truth. There is no connection placing me anywhere of importance. In your college activities and otherwise."

"Fine. I don't care, I just want the money," Carter said. "I just want this done and over with."

"There isn't checks for everyone now," Mason revealed. "I had some to give to Brady since obviously he was in a bad predicament. He was making bad decisions. I got him out of the way." He smiled. "You can take 10,000 a piece after the auction, or wait for me to sell and make ten percent. Your choice."

"Is ten percent better?" Duncan asked. "Is ten percent better than 10,000, Finley?"

"I'll wait," Finley agreed. "You better not cheapen me out on this. We took the risk."

"But as much risk as you took, you won't be able to take everything. Your students. How much do you have? Do you think they'll be giving it away at five dollars a piece? Art is still art. Even if they sell everything in large collections, Deetz' family isn't just going to let it go for nothing. It was what made her happy. The darkness made her happy." He smiled at his son. "What an interesting twist to the situation. That just makes it all the more appealing."

Finley looked toward Duncan and Carter. "Well?"

"I'll take the ten," Carter said. "I want out of this, really, it's bugging me. A lot. Just. The whole-"

"Let's not talk about historical activities," Mason warned him before he dropped anything. He wrote him a check. "You can't change your mind now." He looked toward Duncan and his son.

"I'll wait," Finley said. "I can wait."

"I . . ." Duncan sighed. "Man, I? Nah, I'll wait. If Finley's waiting, I'm waiting."

"Good, now either get out of here or sit back and be quiet." Finley's father dusted his sleeves. "I've got art to purchase."

 


	6. Bug

 

"Goodbye, home." Beatrice waved goodbye, fondly remembering all the years they spent there. All the fun she used to have. A new town, and a new state. A new start. Her parents were going with her too, she'd be too far away from them in her mind. A new start with everything. Although, a small part of her wished she didn't need a new start. She wished they could have all gone to school together with Lydia. That this mess had never happened, and life just continued to make sense.

Out of the corner of her eye, Beatrice noticed Betty Juice on the other side of the house. She was going to say something to her, but Betty simply waved and walked off very fast. So fast she didn't even see her. At least, that must be what had happened. It's not like Betty could just disappear.

She ran to her parents car. A new life began today.

* * *

**The Torturing Begins . . .**

 

University of Bridgeport.

Duncan checked on his list of new classes. He'd just moved into his dorm room. He was still waiting on those paintings to sell and for him to get a percentage, but in the meantime, the worry just circled over his head. Even in the new year. At first, it was so easy. The plan had sounded super easy, and he wasn't the one murdering anyone. It'd surely be okay, Lydia Deetz sounded like a disturbed person anyhow. At least, the way she dressed and the things she liked. But.

When he was right there, in the moment that it happened, it didn't feel like he had no guilt. It didn't feel like the girl had been off-balanced. Guilt was heavy, but what was done was done. He just needed to collect and take care of it. He needed it.

If anything ever happened to him, if he ever got sick in the head then he would be able to take care of it. He could get away, or he could get doctors before things got out of control. His grandmother, rest her soul, she always came to his family's house to see him. She never let him visit her. When he was old enough, he was tired of never seeing her house. He knew the address, his family just told him he could never go there. On the few occasions he did, it was to pick her up for something. Never getting a chance to even peak in.

So he went to look for himself. During lunch time, he went to her house. He didn't do anything except look into a window of the kitchen sink. It was covered in coachroaches and muck and things he couldn't identify! He saw his grandmother's horrified face as she walked by and he took off.

His family told him she had a psychological problem letting things go. That she was a hoarder. He never visited her place again, until there was no choice but for her to let go of everything. The house had to be cleaned as she went into a retirement home. By the time his family finished helping out that house, he couldn't eat certain foods for a long time. He became extremely clean and never left anything out in the open.

His dorm room consisted of a small wooden desk, a spinning seat, a small endtable and a refrigerator. Everything else was provided by the school. As long as he never got anything, bought senseless items, then he would be fine.

At least, that's what he thought as a small bug crawled out from beneath the desk. Just a tiny bug, small enough even the most scared people would squash it with their thumb. Practically a gnat size. He just smashed it with his foot and went back to looking at his classes.

Then another bug came out. Not real big again, but slightly bigger. About twice the size of a gnat. He squished it.

Then another bug came out? This one was about the size of a fly. It has a strange green color to it. Duncan didn't even know the color of it. Still, he squashed it.

Then another one came, slightly bigger. Okay, this was getting weird. He bent down and looked under his desk but saw no more bugs. He squashed it again.

Yet somehow, even though he'd just looked under there, another bug was coming out. It was about the size of a dime. How could that have been hiding? It was really a neon kind of green, almost slimy. Disgusting. He took off his shoe this time and holding his shoes in his hand, he squashed it. That one he would have felt under his feet.

Then another one came out, about the size of a quarter. Disgusting! He bent down, squished it with his shoe and stared under the desk. It was clear again. He waited several minutes to see where they were coming from before he was certain there were no more.

He went to put his shoe back on, when he actually saw another one coming out. Twice the size of a quarter! He squished it. Then another one came out. He grabbed one of his few moving boxes that contained his class books and dropped it onto the bug. He picked the box back up and waited.

Then, he saw a head. He jumped back, almost falling. The bug was so big, it couldn't fit through the open space! His desk reached almost to the floor except for the drawer part which was a little bit more off the floor. He didn't even want to imagine how big it had been. It moved it's head back and he waited. He breathed hard, unable to believe there was a bug that big in America!

It must have been his imagination. It must have been. Then, he saw it. It was coming round the opposite end of the desk. At least an inch in height and he couldn't even say the weight. It was purple with light green spot all around it. He could even see the antennae moving on it!

He screamed and headed out the door. The dorm was infested! He waited to see if anyone else was coming out yet, but no one was in the halls. Then, he looked toward his dorm room door. In his hurry, he left it open.

He saw a head, trying to come out of the the door! The antennae were massive, it was massive, it couldn't even fit through the door! Duncan couldn't take it, he ran to the Resident Assistant's room and knocked viciously, demanding he needed help. When they came out, he pointed to his door.

The bug was gone. He told the RA all about it. They went with him back to his room and looked all around.

"There's nothing here, Duncan," they said to him. "There's not even bodies of bugs you said you squashed."

"But they were!" He picked up the moving box he used to squash them and showed him the bottom.

"It's clean," they said. "Everything's clean. I think you just need some sleep."

"I did not dream this up!"

"You haven't been doing anything bad or against the rules in here?" They asked him. "Knocking at my door at 11 at night about bugs being too massive to squeeze out of your dorm room doesn't sound like something a normal person not on anything would do. Do you understand?"

Shit. They thought he was on drugs? He never touched drugs, that stuff was wrong. His parents taught him years ago not to mess with drugs. "I guess. I just dreamed it."

"I think so too," The RA confirmed. "If you have any other massive bugs the size of the doorway come back, just let me know. Otherwise, I haven't heard a single report about this kind of thing. It's just your imagination. Or, if you are doing something bad in here, knock it off. Understand?"

What else could Duncan do?  _It had to have been a dream._ There wasn't a single ounce of evidence that a bug was even inside the room, there was no liquid and no bodies. Nothing. "Sorry."

"No problem. See ya, Duncan. Get some rest."

Duncan closed the door and looked around the room briefly. Rest felt like the last thing he wanted to do in that room.

 

 Unseen by him though, glowing neon green eyes shined from beneath the small area in the desk.

There was no way he could keep him out forever. 

 

* * *

 

 


End file.
